Breakfast: A.J. Bouye's special skill

A.J. Bouye has developed a bit of a specialty.

Breakfast: The Tight End Whisperer

Covering tight ends is the new challenge for NFL defenders. For A.J. Bouye, it’s become somewhat of a specialty.

He’s faced the likes of Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, and Delanie Walker this year alone. In last year’s season opener, Kelce was unstoppable at NRG Stadium with six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

In this year’s Week 2 matchup against Kansas City, the Texans limited Kelce to just five catches for 34 yards receiving.

“To cover Travis Kelce, it was a battle, man,” Bouye said on Texans Radio last week. “Somebody that’s bigger than you, you have people thinking that they are going to push you around and you got to show them they can’t. Just to go at him for four quarters, you know, it was a fun matchup. You always get the best out of each other when you’re competing and to just be able to talk trash and just play, it was fun.”

If covering tight ends is fun, Bouye is the right man for the job. The fourth-year cornerback’s technique changes slightly than when he covers wide receivers, but the key is in the preparation.

“They are going to try and push you off and they’ll get away with it more but, at the end of the day, you’re playing football and that just comes with preparation and knowing what certain tight ends like to run when they’re lined up here,” Bouye said. “That’s one thing that our coaches have done. They’ve always put us in good positions to win one-on-ones. So it’s fun, it’s different but you just got to adapt to it.”

In Sunday’s 27-20 win over the Titans, Bouye matched up against Delanie Walker, who caught just two of eight passes for 34 yards. Bouye’s pass breakups earned him a game ball from head coach Bill O’Brien.

“He’s one of the game ball award winners,” O’Brien said. “He just has length. He’s competitive. He’s fast. He’s got good ball skills. He’s instinctive. He’s become a very polished player from the first day I met him when we got here. I think he understands his role very well. He’s really playing at a high level and is going to need to continue for us to continue to have success.”

The Texans improved to 3-1 and will face the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.

Covering tight ends is the new challenge for NFL defenders. For A.J. Bouye, it’s become somewhat of a specialty.

He’s faced the likes of Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, and Delanie Walker this year alone. In last year’s season opener, Kelce was unstoppable at NRG Stadium with six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

In this year’s Week 2 matchup against Kansas City, the Texans limited Kelce to just five catches for 34 yards receiving.

“To cover Travis Kelce, it was a battle, man,” Bouye said on Texans Radio last week. “Somebody that’s bigger than you, you have people thinking that they are going to push you around and you got to show them they can’t. Just to go at him for four quarters, you know, it was a fun matchup. You always get the best out of each other when you’re competing and to just be able to talk trash and just play, it was fun.”

If covering tight ends is fun, Bouye is the right man for the job. The fourth-year cornerback’s technique changes slightly than when he covers wide receivers, but the key is in the preparation.

“They are going to try and push you off and they’ll get away with it more but, at the end of the day, you’re playing football and that just comes with preparation and knowing what certain tight ends like to run when they’re lined up here,” Bouye said. “That’s one thing that our coaches have done. They’ve always put us in good positions to win one-on-ones. So it’s fun, it’s different but you just got to adapt to it.”

In Sunday’s 27-20 win over the Titans, Bouye matched up against Delanie Walker, who caught just two of eight passes for 34 yards. Bouye’s pass breakups earned him a game ball from head coach Bill O’Brien.

“He’s one of the game ball award winners,” O’Brien said. “He just has length. He’s competitive. He’s fast. He’s got good ball skills. He’s instinctive. He’s become a very polished player from the first day I met him when we got here. I think he understands his role very well. He’s really playing at a high level and is going to need to continue for us to continue to have success.”

The Texans improved to 3-1 and will face the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.